History[edit]

Blue Springs’ history is tied to the migration of settlers on their westward journey. Pioneers found the area to be an ideal stopover due to the abundance of cool, clean water from a spring of the Little Blue River - hence the name Blue Springs. The presence of water and a need for pioneer supplies led to the construction of a grist mill and permanent settlement at the current site of the City’s Burrus Old Mill Park, on Woods Chapel Road.

The Jackson County Court granted the incorporation of Blue Springs on September 7, 1880, making the City the fourth settlement in the county. An early settler, Franklin Smith, arrived in Blue Springs from Virginia in 1838 and became a leading figure in the community’s development. He established the first post office in 1845,[7] naming it after the well-known springs.

The settlement continued to grow near the springs until 1878, when the Chicago and Alton Railroad announced plans to build a station about one mile east of the original settlement. To take advantage of the commerce the railroad would bring, the town moved its center to the site of the new station and continued its development as a rural trading center.[8] The Chicago & Alton Hotel built in 1878, located on Main Street west of the railroad tracks is the oldest business in the City of Blue Springs.

Historical attractions near or in Blue Springs include: Missouri Town 1855, Fort Osage National Historic Site, Dillingham-Lewis House Museum, Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum, and the Lone Jack Civil War Museum. The Blue Springs City Hall was once located in a very small block building under the old water tower until 1965 on the northwest corner of 11th and Walnut Streets. The City Hall and water tower were torn down not long after vacating the buildings. A new water tower was built near that location and still exist today. From 1965 to 1968 the second City Hall was a metal building located in the 200 block of 11th Street, across the street from the current Blue Springs Post Office. It also has since been torn down. In 1968 the current City Hall was built at 903 W. Main Street as the Blue Springs Municipal Building. The Blue Springs Municipal Building held the Blue Springs Police Department in the lower level and city hall functions on the main level until 1988 when the Police Department moved to a new police station at 1100 SW Smith Street. The Municipal Building was remodeled in 1989 and was renamed the Blue Springs City Hall. In 1970, Blue Springs had a population of 6,779. Today Blue Springs continues grow in population and area and now has a population over 52,000.

The June 1911 issue of Technical World magazine published an article claiming that Blue Springs "boasts of possessing the world's champion marble players," and published a picture of a competition. It named Dan Stanley, George Webb, George Binger, and Lynn Pryor as the best.

On May 24, 2012, Chris Oberholtz & Dave Jordan of KCTV5 reported that several residents had seen strange lights in the evening sky above Blue Springs.

There were 19,522 households of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the city was 34.7 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

There were 17,286 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $55,402, and the median income for a family was $61,008. Males had a median income of $41,373 versus $29,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,444. About 3.9% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government[edit]

The City of Blue Springs has a Mayor-Council-Administrator form of government as set forth in the Home Rule City Charter. The City Council is the governing body of the City, elected by the public. The City of Blue Springs employs a workforce of more than 285 employees who serve the City and its residents under the leadership and direction of the City Administrator. The City Administrator is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for the implementation of policies and decisions made by the Mayor and City Council. The elected governing body for the City of Blue Springs is composed of a Mayor and six Councilpersons. The current elected officials (as of March 7, 2012[update]) are: Mayor Carson Ross, District 1 Councilman Dale Carter, District 1 Councilman Jeff Quibell, District 2 Councilman Chris Lievsay, District 2 Councilman Kent Edmondson, District 3 Councilman Susan Culpepper, District 3 Councilman Ron Fowler.

Public Safety[edit]

Blue Springs has a Municipal Police Department and two Fire Districts providing public safety services to Blue Springs.

Blue Springs Law Enforcement duties are performed by the Blue Springs Police Department. B.S.P.D. was formed by the City of Blue Springs in 1966 and started with just three employees. Today (BSPD) has grown to 137 employees, 99 sworn law enforcement personnel and 38 civilian support personnel. (BSPD) is located at 1100 SW Smith Street.

Fire and ambulance service for most of Blue Springs is performed by Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. (CJCFPD) was formed in 1961 and is an Accredited Fire Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. It is 1 of only 4 agencies in the state of Missouri to be accredited.[11] (CJCFPD) has 5 fire stations that serve the community. (CJCFPD) Headquarters is located at 805 NE Jefferson St.

Fire and ambulance service for the very southern portion of Blue Springs, roughly south of Liggett Road, is served by Prairie Township Fire Protection District. (PTFD) was established in 1954 and has 1 fire station to serve the community located in unincorporated Jackson County at 11010 Milton Thompson Road.

Adams Dairy Parkway is an important trafficway that runs from the northern portion of the Blue Springs to the southern portion of Blue Springs.

Culture/Parks and Recreation[edit]

Fleming Park is home to Blue Springs Lake and Lake Jacomo. The park is operated by Jackson County. Fleming Park offers many recreational features. Fleming Park's total land area is 7,809-acre (32 km2) of which 1,690-acre (7 km2) is water. Blue Springs has 22 city parks which offer vast array of recreational activities. They are:

Adams Pointe Golf Course

Baumgardner Park

Blue Springs Park

Burrus Old Mill Park

Burrus Old Mill Skate Parks

Central Park

Dog Park at Gregory O. Grounds Park

Franklin Smith School Park

Gregory O. Grounds Park

Hidden Valley Sports Complex

James Walker School Park

James Walker Skate Park

Keystone Park

Pink Hill Park

Rotary Park at Railroad Lake

Ward Park

Wilbur Young Park

Wood Chapel Park

Undeveloped Parks or Green Spaces without amenities include the following:

Gautreaux, Terry, Taekwondo USA Bronze Medal Winner in 1992 Summer Olympics and co-owner along with her husband, Oren, of Gautreaux's Martial Arts Center. Blue Spring High School and Rockhurst University graduate.[13]